Translator: Nox

Chapter 26

26

'Well, I'm definitely on their radar now.'

I internally offered my condolences to the seemingly naive clerk.

"What brings you here?"

I promptly pulled out the excuse I had prepared.

"Yesterday, I memorized all the letters. I want to learn more."

With that, Noth left me in the care of the servants and excused himself, saying, "You are diligent. Please wait, as the morning meeting has just ended. I will bring the book."

The newly relieved administrators began to speak one by one.

"Is that the one……?"

"Is that 'Eugene North,' who solved the northern drought when he was working in the Imperial Palace and was the youngest to be affiliated with the Emperor's intelligence agency?"

"Wow, I can't believe I'm seeing him in person. I heard he's a heartless genius."

Everyone looked both nervous and expectant.

'Oh, right.'

I had forgotten because Noth was so unassuming, but he was a talented individual who had made a name for himself even in The Capital.

"Why are you all so nervous? Even if he is Eugene North, he's just one of us now."

As the burly man spoke, the woman with glasses frowned.

"Charlie, have you forgotten that the Young Lady is here? Watch your mouth."

"Seria, why do you always nag at me? Do you perhaps like me?"

"Are you crazy?"

As their voices sharpened, the clueless clerk hurriedly intervened.

"Don't fight. What will the examiners think?"

"You should worry about yourself, Jacob. You're the one they're watching the most."

I looked at the men and women called Charlie, Seria, and Jacob.

'Those people have a Noxstone accent?'

On the day the wanted criminal murdered the nobleman, the employees testified that they heard murmurs with a Noxstone accent from his bedroom.

People speculated that it might have been the voice of the culprit.

While waiting in the central garden until Noth arrived, I observed the clerks, but none of them had a Noxstone accent.

I grinned.

Well, at least the scope has been narrowed down to three.

Even while having a lesson with Noth, my mind was racing with other thoughts.

'If I had known this would happen, I should have learned more about the wanted criminal in my previous life.'

I only remember a few famous things.

The wanted criminal's charge was murder.

And it was the crime of murdering a nobleman.

This incident, which occurred earlier this year, aroused the anger of all the people.

That's because he was a true embodiment of noblesse oblige, running an orphanage and using all his wealth to take care of abandoned elderly and disabled people.

'So, jokingly, people said the Temple killed him.'

Because the dead nobleman was doing all their work.

Even though the entire empire was furious, he could not be easily caught because even the culprit's appearance was not revealed.

'But how on earth did Dubled catch the wanted criminal?'

As I was thinking that, someone knocked on the library door. It was the butler.

But for some reason, the butler's eyes were darker than usual.

"The Master is looking for you, sir."

"……'That thing'?"

"Yes."

The gaunt Noth drooped his shoulders powerlessly.

"Young Lady, is there any toy you would like to have-"

"What is it?"

Cutting off Noth's words, Isaac and Henri appeared behind the butler.

Isaac glared sharply at Noth.

"Are you trying to cut in line?"

"Of course not."

At Noth's awkward words, Henri smiled deeply.

"Is the Duke also preparing 'that'?"

"Well, I don't know everything that His Excellency is doing."

"If Eugene North doesn't know, who would?"

Noth and Henri's gazes clashed fiercely in the air.

"I apologize. I must go see His Excellency now. Young Lady, we will have our next lesson the day after tomorrow."

I nodded, saying, "Yes," and Noth greeted the young masters before leaving the library.

Isaac, who had been glaring at his retreating figure, muttered.

"How sneaky."

"……."

"I don't think this will do. Let's do 'that' today."

"Good."

Soon, the two of them turned to look at me at the same time.

"LeBlaine, would you like to go to the shopping district today?"

"Let's go."

What shopping district?

My eyes widened.

'Everyone's acting strange since yesterday.'

It wasn't just the young masters who were saying strange things.

The maids from the West Wing smiled brightly and said,

[What kind of toys does the Young Lady like the most? Young Master-]

[Oh my!]

[Ah, no, we were just curious……!]

-and laughed, ohoho.

Also, the knights would sneak up to me and ask,

[Have you ever handled a wooden sword?]

[After all, useful gifts are the best, right?]

-they asked.

As I pondered what was going on, I narrowed my eyes.

'Ah, tomorrow is Children's Day.'

It's my first Children's Day since I was adopted, so the Duke and the young masters must be trying to take care of me.

Both Duke Amitié and Duke Valois took care of my first Children's Day.

Duke Amitié almost did everything a guardian should do, except give me love.

Duke Valois threw gifts at me because of what others would think. He didn't want to appear to be neglecting his adopted child.

'The Dubled people must have similar reasons.'

Last time, the Priest came to take me back, but the Duke broke his arm and sent him back.

However, if they didn't take care of events like Children's Day, the Temple would protest, saying, 'Then why didn't you send me?'

I have more than enough toys, but I wanted to go to the shopping district.

"Can I go?"

"Of course."

"But I didn't get Gongzhanmi's permission."

"It's okay if you go with us, LeBlaine."

At Henri's kind smile, I smiled brightly and said, "I'll go~!"

'I have to pretend to like it when I receive the toys.'

The place we went to in the carriage was a luxurious building with no sign.

As we entered the entrance, a man wearing a half mask bowed deeply.

"I will guide you."

I followed behind Henri and Isaac, looking around the interior.

'It's like an opera house.'

There was a large stage in the front, and the auditorium was packed with seats. There were hardly any empty seats in the many seats.

We took our seats in the VIP box on the second floor, not in the general seating area.

There were three luxurious single sofas lined up, much more luxurious than the other seats.

'Did we come to see a performance instead of buying toys?'

Exciting!

In fact, I had more than enough toys, so it was better to see a performance.

I had only seen an opera once during my time as Lady Valois.

"What kind of drink would you like?"

"Earl Grey."

Henri replied briefly, and then Isaac opened his mouth, sitting crookedly.

"Milk-"

He paused, looking at me.

"-no, tea."

"What kind would you like?"

"Bitter."

"Pardon?"

"Bit-ter!"

"Ah…… yes. I will prepare a tea that is as strong as possible."

Then he asked me what drink I wanted, and I said, "Strawberry milk!"

Isaac smiled at me.

"Are you a baby?"

"Izakku is a baby too."

"I'm an adult. I drink tea. A very bit-ter one."

Then he grinned, saying, "Baby, baby."

I wasn't particularly annoyed. It was true that I was a baby. Besides, even when I grew up, I was used to being called 'Young Lady' because of this Child of Destiny title.

Soon, the drinks came out.

Underneath the white, savory milk, a strawberry sauce that sparkled like a ruby was settled.

I quickly took the milk, stirred it, and sucked it up with a straw.

"Is it good?"

Henri chuckled and asked, and I nodded my head greatly.

"Eat some refreshments with it."

"Yes."

Henri and I enjoyed the drinks provided here. But Isaac was very quiet.

His tea was several times stronger than Henri's. It looked incredibly bitter and astringent. And.

"……."

Isaac was sulking.

'I knew he wouldn't be able to drink it.'

I quietly held out my milk glass to him.

"Izakku, eat this."

"Milk is for babies……."

"No, adults like milk too."

"……Really?"

"Yeah."

Isaac, who received the glass from me, tasted the milk.

His face brightened as if it was delicious. But he soon changed his expression and cleared his throat.

"It's edible."

"It's delicious."

"Then I'll drink it once, and you'll drink it once, okay?"

With those words, he held out the milk glass to me again.

Henri looked at Isaac like he was a cockroach.

"Order another one, you idiot."

"……I, I know that!"

Isaac was frustrated because of his brother, who didn't even pretend to listen, but he became quiet when I put the strawberry milk straw back in his mouth.

I sipped the newly arrived milk, looking forward to the start of the performance.

'Is it a play? Or really an opera?'

Considering that they brought a child like me, I thought it might be a play.

I liked plays more than operas, so my heart was pounding.

Soon, the man with the half mask that I had seen earlier came up onto the stage.

"I would like to greet the gentlemen and ladies who have come to 'Heaven'."

The man's lips twisted as he looked around the audience.

"From now on, we will begin the slave auction!"

……What?

'Is this a lie?'

I looked at the young masters with those eyes, and Isaac smiled brightly.

"Pick anything you want. I'll buy it all for you!"

Only then did I remember who these people were.

That's right. These guys were budding villains.